Street Truck Parking Debated

Residents Speak For, Against Proposed Town Ordinance

ENFIELD — Residents for and against a proposed town ordinance that would prohibit the parking of large commercial vehicles on public streets spoke out at a public hearing Monday night.

The ordinance would prohibit commercial vehicles that exceed 5,000 pounds in gross vehicle weight on public roads. Exempted vehicles include pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and trucks associated with a construction, landscaping or delivery job in progress. Drivers found in violation would be given a $50 ticket by police.

Although the council appeared to be in agreement on the bulk of the ordinance, members decided not to take action, and may vote on the ordinance at their next meeting.

``I want everyone to understand that when your cousin Vinny comes over and parks his pickup truck'' on the street in front of your house, he won't get ticketed, Mayor Patrick Tallarita said.

At issue was the second half of the town's two-step process to address just where residents and their guests can park their commercial vehicles.

In November, the planning and zoning commission amended its regulations to let residents park commercial vehicles that weigh between 5,000 and 11,000 pounds on their private property. Permission to park larger vehicles can be obtained with a special permit from the town.

Now that such vehicles can be parked on private property, the council wants them off the streets.

So does resident Patrick Colca, who this summer had a large truck parked repeatedly in front of his house, causing safety and aesthetic concerns, he said.

``Are we going to become a public parking lot?'' Colca asked the council Monday. ``It cheapens the town when you allow a big rig to park out there and park at will.''

Others, like John Mihalick, oppose the ordinance. He parks his truck in front of his house a couple of hours each week to clean the cab, he said. ``This is a blue-collar town; it's not a white-collar town,'' he told the council, adding that he has been a truck driver for 33 years. ``It's my livelihood; it's my living.''

Councilman William ``Red'' Edgar said he wanted to incorporate language that would allow truck drivers to stop at home for short periods.

Town staff will look into this before the next meeting, Tallarita said.